ABSTRACT
Bush gardens reflect many of the characteristic attributes of sustainable shifting agriculture in rainforest environments as set out in classic studies from Southeast Asia by Conklin, Geertz and others. After rather reliable copra shipping services in the 1970s, partly run by the indigenous Christian Fellowship Church whose stronghold is in the nearby village of Tamaneke, Vakabo has seldom been visited by ships, and it is too remote for copra marketing by canoe to be a profitable option. The system thus appeared sustainable for the foreseeable future, but in a situation of poor market access agroforestry can only support a livelihood of subsistence affluence. However, land can be borrowed from other families provided that the borrower does not plant long-term tree crops but only root crops, vegetables, bananas or betel nut. Alongside the new source of pressure on accessible land is the current rapid growth in population, resulting in a concern over shortage of garden land.
